5 performances that prove De Gea is the best goalkeeper in the world

#1 Arsenal 1-3 Manchester United - Premier League

David de Gea single-handedly saved Manchester United in the clash against ArsenalOnce in a while in football, there comes a performance so elegant that one can't help but applaud the player behind it, even if it is against your own team. For Arsenal, unfortunately, it was against them that De Gea decided become a superhero for 90 minutes.

If you look at just the statistics and not the scoreline, anyone would have said that Arsenal comfortably won the fixture against United, with their tally of 33 shots in reply to United's meagre 8. You would have thought that only a miracle would flip the result the other way.

What transpired that night, was nothing short of miraculous. After quickly taking a 2-0 against an Arsenal backline that would seemingly crumble even at the sneeze of a newborn baby, United sat back and started to defend deep. Arsenal quickly took control of the tide, nicked one back through Alexandre Lacazette and peppered United's goal with shots from all over the pitch.

And de Gea, somehow, saved each and every one of them, getting up and going ahead with the game with the calm demeanour of a genius at work. He saved shots from Hector Bellerin, Alexandre Lacazette, Sead Kolasinac, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, seeming rather casual.

He even palmed away a clumsy clearance from Lukaku with what felt like a freeze frame save. One moment particularly stood out as he kept out a goal-bound effort from Lacazette and also the follow-up shot from the onrushing Alexis Sanchez.

Arsene Wenger rightly commented that his team should have been more clinical and decisive on the pitch. But when De Gea decided to turn up, it felt like no amount of surgical brilliance would be enough to get the ball across his goal line.

He finished the match with a Premier League record-equalling total of 14 saves and also the respect of every football fan who witnessed his magic that night, cementing his place as the best shot stopper in the world right now.